Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,241 describes a ski in which the upper face has a recess intended to accommodate a plate on which the bindings, namely the front toe stop and the rear heel binding, are fastened. Advantageously, this document provides for a sheet made of a viscoelastic material to be interposed at the interface between the plate accommodating the binding and the ski proper, so as to allow, on the one hand, absorption of disruptive vibrations and, on the other hand, to allow this ski relatively wide-amplitude flexion movements, by virtue of the elimination, or in any case the reduction in the effects of rigidity generated by traditional binding devices. However, in view of the fact that the toe stop and the heel binding are fastened only at this attached plate, and by virtue of the presence of this viscoelastic material, the accuracy of controlling the ski is significantly affected, to the extent of reaching some degree of "floating" of the binding-support plate, which is in any case incompatible with a precision ski and, a fortiori, competition skiing.
The current structure of skis tends toward narrowing of the zone of the support face, which results in an increased risk of the sides of the shoe, which are thus markedly wider than this zone, touching the ground instead of the edges during turning. This risk leads to slipping of the ski, that is to say abrupt detachment thereof from the surface of the snow.
In order to overcome this risk, it is proposed to raise the zone of the support face, that is to say the zone accommodating the bindings, with respect to the upper plane of the ski, for example by means of wedges or plates screwed or adhesively bonded onto the upper surface of the ski.
For example, document U.S. Pat. No. 2,550,002 describes such a ski in which the zone used for mounting the bindings is raised by a wooden plate with the interposition, between the plate and the upper surface of the ski, of a rubber strip. However, in this case the accuracy of controlling the ski is still significantly affected, in view of the floating of the binding-support plate with respect to the ski itself.
It has also been proposed, for example in document FR-A-2,648,720, to produce a ski which has a raised upper wall in the zone of the support face, for incorporating a plate made of viscoelastic material into this zone. However, vibration isolation is not optimal in such a structure.
In parallel, such systems may be envisaged with a ski having a more complex profile, of which the evolution is constantly increasing and for which there is a growing public demand.
The object of the invention is to provide a ski of the type in question, which overcomes these various drawbacks.
The invention provides a ski comprising:
a running sole, optionally bordered by edges, PA1 a structural body comprising at least one upper reinforcement layer covered with an upper protective surface, PA1 in the zone of the support face, an attached structure, fastened onto said upper surface by means of a sheet or plate made of a viscoelastic material, at least in the rear part, that is to say in the zone intended to accommodate the heel binding which, in cooperation with a toe stop, binds the boot of the skier. PA1 the screws for fastening the anterior zone of the attached structure pass through the latter before being anchored in the upper reinforcement layer of the structural body; PA1 the posterior zone of the attached structure is fixed by adhesive bonding onto the structural body of the ski by means of the sheet or plate made of viscoelastic material; PA1 the screws for fastening the heel binding are anchored in the attached structure, above the sheet or plate made of viscoelastic material.
In the ski according to the invention:
In this way, it is thus possible to combine, on the one hand, the damping effect of the viscoelastic material, operating either by compression or by shearing, with the function of accurate guiding of the ski using the front toe stop. Further, in view of the shear capacity imparted to the posterior zone of the attached structure by virtue of the presence, where it is fastened onto the structural body of the ski, of a sheet or plate made of viscoelastic material, the entire binding (front toe stop+heel binding) is never compressed, even when the ski bends.
Advantageously, the attached structure has an upper surface extending the general shape of the upper surface of the ski. This means that no notable discontinuity is observed in the profile of the ski, after said attached structure has been fitted, this being true both in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction of the ski.
Advantageously, the toe stop and the heel binding are held substantially parallel to the running sole by means of elements which are attached onto said structure and have a suitable complementary shape for matching the particular profile of this structure, in particular when the latter has an overall triangular cross section.
The manner in which the invention may be embodied and the advantages which result therefrom will emerge better from the exemplary embodiments which follow, given by way of indication and without limitation being implied, supported by the attached figures.